Leafa Vitale
Leafa Vitale was a Minister of Works and Minister of Women's Affairs in Samoa, who along with Toi Aukuso, former Minister of Post and Telecommunications, plotted the assassination of Samoan Minister of Public Works Luagalau Levaula Kamu in 1999.[1]
Aside from the Minister of Works the two former Ministers (who were still in Parliament at the time) had also planned to have the Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi, the Chief Justice, New Zealand's High Commissioner to Samoa, and Minister of Lands and Environment Tuala Kerslake assassinated. Leafa, Toi and Leafa's son Eletise Leafa Vitale (who carried out the assassination) were sentenced to death[2][3] but had their sentences commuted to life sentences by the Head of State Malietoa Tanumafili II in 2000.[4] Vitale was paroled on the basis of ill-health in June 2010.[5]
Leafa was Minister of Works under Tofilau but became Minister of Women's Affairs when Tuiaepa Sailele Malielegaoi became prime minister.[1] He was among the Ministers in the Cabinet of former Prime Minister Tofialu who were named for corruption in the 1994 Report to the Samoan Parliament by then Controller and Chief Auditor Rimoni Ah Chong.
Leafa Vitale was among the 35 criminals pardoned by the Hon. Head of State of Samoa, Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi on June 1, 2012, of the Samoan Independence day to commemorate the country's 50th anniversary.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Marks, Kathy (April 14, 2000). "Ministers' hitman taints Pacific paradise island". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
- ^ "COURT FINDS TWO FORMER SAMOAN MINISTERS GUILTY OF ASSASSINATION". Pacific Islands Report. 13 April 2000. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- ^ "Two former Samoan ministers sentenced to die for murdering rival". Independent (UK). 15 August 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- ^ "SAMOA'S MALIETOA COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE OF EX-MINISTERS TO LIFE IN PRISON". Pacific Islands Report. 12 May 2000. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- ^ "Disgraced ex-minister gets parole". Samoa Observer. 2010-06-30. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
- ^ talamua.com